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Sligo-Leitrim home help hours cut 'shameful' - Martin Kenny TD

Martin Kenny, Sinn Fein TD for Sligo, Leitrim, North Roscommon and South Donegal has described the revelations that over two years that the HSE has cut Home Help hours in the Sligo-Leitrim area by over 35,000 hours as “shameful”.

The revelation came in response to a parliamentary question by Sinn Fein Health spokesperson, Louise O’Reilly TD, which revealed that in 2015 Sligo-Leitrim received 441,400 home help hours and in 2017 it received 406,354 hours.

Deputy Kenny said:

“This is shameful of the HSE and this Government. Over the last two years my constituency office has been inundated with queries regarding Home Help.

"This Government wants to privatise it and is consistently promoting private home care to individuals and families requiring Home Help for their loved ones.

“Instead of cutting them, the Government needs to increase Home Help hours to enable elderly people remain in their homes and give them every opportunity to remain independent for as long as possible.

“Home Help is essential for people in rural Ireland especially people living alone who depend on their carer and don’t have anyone else calling to see them.

"Without this service more of our elderly are forced into long-term care in nursing homes which is causing more strain on the health service.

“It is long recognised that by remaining in their homes and community people have a better standard of living, therefore the Government needs to put the services in place to allow this.”